A single person 24 (2 section ladder)/26 (3 section ladder) ft extension ladder throw without touching the building is a regular evolution that is taught in our drill school (Seattle Fire). All recruits are expected to complete this in order to graduate.
The ladder is carried with the beam resting on the (right) shoulder, once at the location the lower spur is placed on the ground while simultaneously raising and pivoting the ladder. Once up, your (right) knee is on the outside of beam with your (right) foot on the inside. Other (left) foot is back providing stability and your hands are on the halyard. Extend the ladder to desired height and place into the building.
I'm right handed so that is why I've placed right/left the way I did.

Lets see if I can remember it....
me....SIR, THIS RECRUIT REQUESTS PERMISSION TO CHECK OVER MY LADDER, SIR!?
State dude...Permission granted
(this is where you try to catch your breath after the minuteman)

I'm a bit confused. He said you cannot use the building which seems impossible if its a big ladder. However, all of the responses and the video are with butting the ladder against the building. Maybe I read the original post wrong? I wasn't taught how to do a single person raise at the academy, but once on my dept they showed me and told me that's how I'll usually put one up.

I'm a bit confused. He said you cannot use the building which seems impossible if its a big ladder. However, all of the responses and the video are with butting the ladder against the building. Maybe I read the original post wrong? I wasn't taught how to do a single person raise at the academy, but once on my dept they showed me and told me that's how I'll usually put one up.

MAYBE IF ALL OF THESE CITIES WOULD STOP WITH THE BUDGET CUTS!!!

Butt said ladder against building, and raise ladder. Pull out 6 inches, then extend ladder with 3 points of contact.

IF you are in a narrow alley way it is IMPOSSIBLE to butt the ladder against the building. If possible you need to sink the single butt of the lower beam in the carry into soft ground or gravel or even against a crack in the pavement and beam raise the ladder. If nothing is there to butt he ladder against it is entirely possible and safe to raise the ladder on its beam without it if you have practiced this. Using the high shoulder carry in this instance may be the preferred carry.

A single person raise of a 24 foot ladder should be a requirement of every recruit academy. It is not an impossible task and if done properly, after practice of course, it is not dangerous either.

I'm a bit confused. He said you cannot use the building which seems impossible if its a big ladder. However, all of the responses and the video are with butting the ladder against the building. Maybe I read the original post wrong? I wasn't taught how to do a single person raise at the academy, but once on my dept they showed me and told me that's how I'll usually put one up.

MAYBE IF ALL OF THESE CITIES WOULD STOP WITH THE BUDGET CUTS!!!

Butt said ladder against building, and raise ladder. Pull out 6 inches, then extend ladder with 3 points of contact.

Butt said ladder against building, and raise ladder. Pull out 6 inches, then extend ladder with 3 points of contact.

I'm not quite sure why you reposted this, But if it is response to my post...I simply stated a scenario where the "Butt the ladder against the building" idea simply won't work and what the alternative is. Now if you have a way of laying the roughly 14 feet of a 24 foot ladder across a 4 to 10 foot wide alley to butt it against the building please do share it.

I'm not quite sure why you reposted this, But if it is response to my post...I simply stated a scenario where the "Butt the ladder against the building" idea simply won't work and what the alternative is. Now if you have a way of laying the roughly 14 feet of a 24 foot ladder across a 4 to 10 foot wide alley to butt it against the building please do share it.

FyredUp

That is strange. I only posted it once.....

The Bright House dude are up on the pole, so I think I can safely place the blame on their shoulders.

Well first of all "approved" by who? Just because something isn't in an IFSTA manual doesn't mean it is a valid tactic. Alot of methods I have learned were not "approved".

I have only done single raises butted up against a house or building, but if I had to do it by myself I would try to extend the ladder while it was laying on the ground then raise it up. Never done it, maybe I will try it tommorrow at work. Inside though, its friggin freezing right now.

I'll bet OSHA would have a field day at your department.

OSHA bases its safety mandates on NFPA codes and standards. Why do we have standards for safety on the fireground? So more of us get to go home and enjoy our lives once the fire's over. It doesn't make any difference to your widow how short-staffed your department was when you did something stupid in an effort to overcome that manpower shortage. Our number one priority on the fireground is personal safety, period. Sure, you can raise an extension ladder by yourself. But is it worth it?

We don't teach that, nor have I seen it in any training material I have.

We teach to heel the ladder into the building and walk it up, or use the side beam raise (with two men).

DITTO here too. In fact that is how my class and I will be tested this next weekend as part of our FFI Skills tests. Just run the foot of the ladder into the edge of the building, fly side in. Run up the fly to the height you need, flip the ladder over to the "climbing side", tie it off, set the climbing angle and VOILA done. Should be done in 3 minutes from time of stepping off the rig, till time of completion.

This agency raises ladders with the fly section facing the building (the manufacturer has no problem with this). It would be fairly easy to roll the ladder once it is up if you want the fly section out.

OSHA bases its safety mandates on NFPA codes and standards. Why do we have standards for safety on the fireground? So more of us get to go home and enjoy our lives once the fire's over. It doesn't make any difference to your widow how short-staffed your department was when you did something stupid in an effort to overcome that manpower shortage. Our number one priority on the fireground is personal safety, period. Sure, you can raise an extension ladder by yourself. But is it worth it?

OSHA SMOOSHA...

Damn right its worth it. When you have people trapped and not enough FF's to "textbook" style your firefighting operations. When you are understaffed and you have to take action. When another FF pops out a window looking for a rescue ladder because they are trapped and your crew is doing something else.....should I go on?

The mother or father whos kids died becase you only did things the textbook way has a case too, right?

FYI, the single FF extension ladder raise is in many books and taught at many academies. There are a few unique twists to it that are awesome tools to know if a situation warrants the action.

You can't be in this business if you refuse to acknowledge there will be times we HAVE to "violate" safety "rules" to accomplish goals in extreme and trying circumstances.

It doesn't make any difference to your widow how short-staffed your department was when you did something stupid in an effort to overcome that manpower shortage. Our number one priority on the fireground is personal safety, period. Sure, you can raise an extension ladder by yourself. But is it worth it?

OSHA bases its safety mandates on NFPA codes and standards. Why do we have standards for safety on the fireground? So more of us get to go home and enjoy our lives once the fire's over. It doesn't make any difference to your widow how short-staffed your department was when you did something stupid in an effort to overcome that manpower shortage. Our number one priority on the fireground is personal safety, period. Sure, you can raise an extension ladder by yourself. But is it worth it?

It doesn't make any difference to your widow how short-staffed your department was when you did something stupid in an effort to overcome that manpower shortage. Our number one priority on the fireground is personal safety, period. Sure, you can raise an extension ladder by yourself. But is it worth it?

fireEMSgrrrl- stick to the EMS side of things. It obvious your firefighting skills, abilities, basic fire ground task knowledge is a little lacking.

My posts reflect my views and opinions, not the organization I work for or my IAFF local. Some of which they may not agree. I.A.C.O.J. member
"I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."
George Mason
Co-author of the Second Amendment
during Virginia's Convention to Ratify the Constitution, 1788Elevator Rescue Information

We've always called it the "one man slam", because when ya bring the ladder up from the ground, you kinda throw it into the building.
We thought it was funny to leave divots in the training tower.
(I know, but we were young recruits...)
Learned the same way at 3 different academies, including the Wa State one at North Bend.
Not sure what all the fuss is about.

In the video it appears that the halyard was tied around both rungs. (bed and fly) Is this common practice?

Not sure, we never tie the 2 sections together unless the ladder is raised, and honestly most of the time we don;t even do it then. If those dawgs fail, we have bigger issues. Having it tied to only the base section allows instant extension upon being raised.